The Iowa Scholars in Clinical Investigation Program (ISCI) at the University of Iowa is an interdisciplinary program that trains clinician for successful careers in clinical investigation. The ISCI provides trainees with: 1) outstanding interdisciplinary didactic training in the theories, methods, applications, and ethics of clinical research that leads to a Master of Science in Clinical Investigation, 2) a mentored clinical research experience that is closely supervised by faculty who are experienced mentors and well-funded clinical investigators; 3) a unique curriculum in academic "survival skills" that teaches grant writing, networking skills, and other essential research skills and 4) opportunities to present research findings at a weekly "works-in progress" research seminar. Importantly, the ISCI has created a nurturing infrastructure and culture that brings together clinical research trainees and junior, mid-career, and senior clinical investigators. The ISCI targets highly motivated clinical trainees and junior faculty from medicine, dentistry, nursing, and pharmacy who are committed to a 2 to 3 year training experience in one of three tracks: patient-oriented research; epidemiology and behavioral research; or outcomes and health services research. Since its inception 3 years ago, the ISCI has enrolled 34 post-doctoral trainees, many of whom have already advanced to faculty positions and received career development and other research funding. Program effectiveness and trainee progress are assessed concurrently by educational evaluation specialists. The ISCI further capitalizes on numerous institutional resources, including a successful General Clinical Research Center, a growing faculty in Public Health, a supportive environment for conducting clinical trials, several well-funded research centers in epidemiology and health services research, a new graduate program in translational research, numerous NIH T-32 training grants, and a recently awarded NIH K12 grant.